Middlebury Gorge Concrete Arch Bridge

The Middlebury Gorge Concrete Arch Bridge is a historic concrete arch bridge, carrying Vermont Route 125 over the Middlebury River in eastern Middlebury, Vermont. The bridge was built in 1924, and is a well-preserved example of an early concrete bridge. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[1]

Middlebury Gorge Concrete Arch Bridge
Location VT 125 over the Middlebury River, Middlebury, Vermont
Coordinates43°58′12″N 73°5′11″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1924 (1924)
Architectural styleConcrete arch bridge
MPSMetal Truss, Masonry, and Concrete Bridges in Vermont MPS
NRHP reference No.91001604[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 14, 1991

Description and history

The Middlebury Gorge Concrete Arch Bridge is located in the upland area of eastern Middlebury, carrying Vermont Route 125 across a narrow gorge en route to one of three passes across the Green Mountains in eastern Addison County. The bridge consists of a basically semicircular arch made out of poured reinforced concrete. Its span is 42 feet (13 m), with a total structure length of 49 feet (15 m). It is 34 feet (10 m) in height and has a width of 24 feet (7.3 m), carrying two lanes of traffic. The sides of the bridge are simply decorated, with a beltcourse running along the length of the top, and paneled pilastered pillars at the corners.[2]

The bridge was built in 1924, and is one of the state's few such bridges to predate (and survive) its devastating 1927 floods. The bridge's scenic siting was judged a better setting for a more monumentally appearing arch bridge than the then-common alternative, a metal truss bridge. The bridge was built out of eight separately poured concrete sections, using locally sourced materials. Its principal defect is the loss of one of the corner posts.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Lauren Stahl (1991). "NRHP nomination for Middlebury Gorge Concrete Arch Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-09-04. with photos from 1991
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